QuakeCoRE Seminar – 4 October 2019

10 am Friday 4 October

Nirmal Nair (University of Auckland)

Energy-Communication-Data Infrastructure through the Lens of Seismicity

Abstract  

Globally energy networks will be undertaking generational transitions in the next 3 decades to help deliver the low-carbon future in a world where high-intensity and high-frequency natural and climate-related events are becoming increasingly commonplace.   “Decarbonisation, Digitalisation and Democratisation” is the mantra that will guide this transition and dictate how energy and communication lifelines is expected to operate/perform during Resilience to Nature’s Challenge (RNC) focus area of interest. Developing original, scalable and inter-dependent ideas particularly for earthquakes, that is QuakeCoRE depth of interest, will help prepare these lifeline networks towards potentially addressing most if not all of the emergent threats.

This seminar begins with a quick primer on energy/electricity viewed from the prism of natural hazards and extreme climate/ambient conditions that it currently operates under. It will then summarize some experiences gained through a recently completed project with electricity and communication lifeline service operators for NZ Westcoast region under the ambit of NSC-RNC1 Contestable Project: Electricity Distribution Resilience Framework and PhD resources through QuakeCoRE Special Project 1: Spatially-distributed Infrastructure. In particular the QuakeCoRE’s Integrative project on Alpine Earth Fault, helped provide the futuristic quake-science information that the lifeline assessment had to undertake and flesh out what the resilience metrics will be useful for electricity and communication infrastructures going forward.

This seminar will conclude by speculating future inter-couplings of the transport and data infrastructures with the energy-communication nexus in an emergent highly networked, digitalized and zero-carbon world particularly during a large NZ seismic event for e.g. say Wellington region.

Discussions and Q&A at the end of this seminar will help solidify science-stretch ideas for the writing team as part of its research ideation for one of the QuakeCoRE2 rebid Integrative Programme tentatively titled “Harnessing Disruptive Technologies”.

For details on how to join the seminar – return to the 2019 Seminar series home page  link

Zoom  link